Cells

Question 1

What does the cell theory state?

Answer 1

All living organisms are composed of cells. Multicellular organisms (example: humans) are composed of many cells while unicellular organisms (example: bacteria) are composed of only one cell. Cells are the basic unit of structure in all organisms. Cells are the smallest unit of life. They are the smallest structures capable of surviving on their own. Cells come from pre-exsisting cells and cannot be created from non-living material. For example, new cells arise from cell division and a zygote (the very first cell formed when an organism is produced) arises from the fusion of an egg cell and a sperm cell.

Question 2

What evidence proves the cell theory?

Answer 2

When scientists started to look at the structures of organisms under the microscope they discovered that all living organisms where made up of these small units which they proceeded to call cells. When these cells were taken from tissues they were able to survive for some period of time. Nothing smaller than the cell was able to live independently and so it was concluded that the cell was the smallest unit of life. For some time, scientists thought that cells must arise from non-living material but it was eventually proven that this was not the case, instead they had to arise from pre-exsisting cells. An experiment to prove this can be done as follows: Take two containers and put food in both of these Sterilize both of the containers so that all living organisms are killed Leave one of the containers open and seal the other closed What will happen is that in the open container mold will start to grow but in the container that was sealed no mold will be present. The reason for this is because in the open container, cells are able to enter the container from the external environment and start to divide and grow. However, due to the seal on the other container no cells will be able to enter and so no mold will develop, proving that cells cannot arise from non-living material.

Question 3

What carries out all the functions of life?

Answer 3

unicellular organisms

Question 4

How large is a molecule?

Answer 4

1 nm

Question 5

How thick is a cell membrane?

Answer 5

10 nm

Question 6

How thick is a virus?

Answer 6

100nm

Question 7

How thick is a bacteria?

Answer 7

1 um

Question 8

How thick is an organelle?

Answer 8

up to 10 um

Question 9

How thick is a eukaryotic cell?

Answer 9

up to 100 um

Question 10

1 centimeter in meters

Answer 10

10^-2m

Question 11

1 milimeter in meters

Answer 11

10^-3m

Question 12

1 micrometer in meters

Answer 12

10^-6

Question 13

1 nanometer in meters

Answer 13

10^-9

Question 14

How do you calculate the linear magnification of drawings and the images of specimens in known magnification?

Answer 14

Take a measurement of the drawing (width or length) Take this same measurement of the specimen Remember to convert units if needed to Place your values into the equation Magnification = length of drawing / length of actual specimen

Question 15

What is the impotence of surface area to volume ratio in cell size limitations?

Answer 15

Many reactions occur within the cell. Substances need to be taken into the cell to fuel these reactions and the wast products of the reactions need to be removed. When the cell increases in size so does its chemical activity. This means that more substances need to be taken in and more need to be removed. The surface area of the cell is vital for this. Surface area affects the rate at which particles can enter and exit the cell (The amount of substances that it takes up from the environment and excretes into the environment), whereas the volume affects the rate at which material are made or used within the cell, hence the chemical activity per unit of time. As the volume of the cell increases so does the surface area however not to the same extent. When the cell gets bigger its surface area to volume ratio gets smaller. To illustrate this we can use three different cubes. The first cube has a side of 1 cm, the second 3 cm and the third 4 cm. If we calculate the surface area to volume ratio we get: Cube 1 Surface area: 6 sides x 12 = 6 cm2 Volume: 13 = 1 cm3 Ratio = 6:1 Cube 2 Surface area: 6 sides x 32 = 54 cm2 Volume: 33 = 27 cm3 Ratio = 2:1 Cube 3 Surface area: 6 sides x 42 = 96 cm2 Volume : 43 = 64 cm3 Ratio = 1.5:1 As we can see the cube with the largest surface area and volume has the smallest surface area to volume ratio. If the surface area to volume ratio gets too small then substances won’t be able to enter the cell fast enough to fuel the reactions and wast products will start to accumulate within the cell as they will be produced faster than they can be excreted. In addition, cells will not be able to lose heat fast enough and so may overheat. Therefor the surface area to volume ratio is very important for a cell.

Question 16

How do multicellular organisms show emergent properties?

Answer 16

Multicellular organisms show emergent properties. For example: cells form tissues, tissues form organs, organs form organ systems and organ systems form multicellular organisms. The idea is that the whole is greater than the composition of its parts. For example your lungs are made of many cells. However, the cells by themselves aren’t much use. It is the many cells working as a unit that allow the lungs to perform their function.

Question 17

How do cells in multicellular organisms differentiate to perform different functions despite having the same genes?

Answer 17

Every cell in a multicellular organisms contains all the genes of that organism. However, the genes that are activated vary from cell to cell. The reason we have different types of cells in our body (the cells in your eyes are not the same as the ones that make up your hair) is because different genes are activated in different cells. For example, the gene that produces keratin will be active in hair and nail cells. Keratin is the protein which makes up hair and nails. Genes encode for proteins and the proteins affect the cell’s structure and function so that the cell can specialize. This means cells develop in different ways. This is called differentiation. Differentiation depends on gene expression which is regulated mostly during transcription. It is an advantage for multicellular organisms as cells can differentiate to be more efficient unlike unicellular organisms who have to carry out all of the functions within that one cell.

Question 18

How do stem cells retain the capacity to divide and and have the ability to differentiate along different pathways?

Answer 18

Adults have stems cells in the tissues in their bodies that need to be frequently replaced such as the skin. Stem cells have the ability to produce a wide range of cells which means that they are pluripotent. They retain their ability to divide and produce many different cells by cell division and the process of differentiation. For example, one type of stem cells in the bone marrow produce a variety of red and white blood cells.

Question 19

What is one therapeutic use of a stem cell?

Answer 19

Bone marrow transplants are one of the many therapeutic uses of stem cells. Stem cells found in the bone marrow give rise to the red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in the body. These stem cells can be used in bone marrow transplants to treat people who have certain types of cancer. When a patient has cancer and is given high doses of chemotherapy, the chemotherapy kills the cancer cells but also the normal cells in the bone marrow. This means that the patient cannot produce blood cells. So before the patient is treated with chemotherapy, he or she can undergo a bone marrow harvest in which stem cells are removed from the bone marrow by using a needle which is inserted into the pelvis (hip bone). Alternatively, if stem cells cannot be used from the patient then they can be harvested from a matching donor. After the chemotherapy treatment the patient will have a bone marrow transplant in which the stem cells are transplanted back into the patient through a drip, usually via a vein in the chest or the arm. These transplanted stem cells will then find their way back to the bone marrow and start to produce healthy blood cells in the patient. Therefore the therapeutic use of stem cells in bone marrow transplants is very important as it allows some patients with cancer to undergo high chemotherapy treatment. Without this therapeutic use of stem cells, patients would only be able to take low doses of chemotherapy which could lower their chances of curing the disease.

Question 20

Draw and label a diagram of the ultrastructure of Escherichia coli (E. coli) as an example of a prokaryote

Answer 20

Question 21

What are the functions of an e coli cell wall?

Answer 21

Protects the cell from the outside environment and maintains the shape of the cell. It also prevents the cell from bursting if internal pressure rises.

Question 22

What are the functions of an e coli plasma membrane?

Answer 22

Semi-permeable membrane that controls the substances moving into and out of the cell. It contains integral and peripheral proteins. Substances pass through by either active or passive transport.

Question 23

What are the functions of an e-coli cytoplasm?

Answer 23

Contains many enzymes used to catalyze chemical reactions of metabolism and it also contains the DNA in a region called the nucleoid. Ribosomes are also found in the cytoplasm.

Question 24

What are the functions of e coli pili?

Answer 24

Help bacteria adhere to each other for the exchange of genetic material.

Question 25

What are the functions of e coli flagella?

Answer 25

Made of a protein called flagellin. Helps bacteria move around by the use of a motor protein that spins the flagellum like a propeller.

Question 26

What are the functions of e coli rhibosomes?

Answer 26

They are the site of protein synthesis. Contributes to protein synthesis by translating messenger RNA

Question 27

what is the function of the e coli nuclei?

Answer 27

Region containing naked DNA which stores the hereditary material (genetic information) that controls the cell and will be passed on to daughter cells.

Question 28

identify e coli rhibosomes, nucleoid containing naked DNA, cell wall, cytoplasm and cell membrane on electron micrograph

Answer 28

Question 29

How do prokareotic cells divide?

Answer 29

Prokaryotic cells divide by binary fission. Binary fission is a method of asexual reproduction involving the splitting of the parent organism into two separate organisms.

Question 30

Draw and label a diagram of the ultrastructure of a liver cell as an example of an animal cell.

Answer 30

Question 31

What are the functions of the liver cell rhibosomes?

Answer 31

Found either floating free in the cytoplasm or attached to the surface of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and in mitochondria and chloroplast. Ribosomes are the site of protein synthesis as they translate messenger RNA to produce proteins.

Question 32

What is the function of the rough endoplasmic recitulum?

Answer 32

Can modify proteins to alter their function and/or destination. Synthesizes proteins to be excreted from the cell.

Question 33

What is the function of the liver cell lyosome?

Answer 33

Contains many digestive enzymes to hydrolyze macromolecules such as proteins and lipids into their monomers.

Question 34

What is the function of the liver cell golgi apparatus?

Answer 34

Receives proteins from the rough endoplasmic reticulum and may further modify them. It also packages proteins before the protein is sent to it’s final destination which may be intracellular or extracellular.

Question 35

What is the function of the liver cell michochondrin?

Answer 35

Is responsible for aerobic respiration. Converts chemical energy into ATP using oxygen.

Question 36

label electron micrograph of liver cell

Answer 36

Question 37

Compare prokreatic and eukreatic cells

Answer 37

Prokaryotic cells have naked DNA which is found in the cytoplasm in a region named the nucleoid. On the other hand, eukaryotes have chromosomes that are made up of DNA and protein. These chromosomes are found in the nucleus enclosed in a nuclear envelope.

Prokaryotes do not have any mitochondria whereas eukaryotes do.

Prokaryotes have small ribosomes (70S) compared to eukaryotes which have large ribosomes (80S).

In prokaryotes there are either no or very few organelles bounded by a single membrane in comparison to eukaryotes which have many of them including the Golgi apparatus and the endoplasmic reticulum

Question 38

What are the differences between plant and animal cells?

Answer 38

Animal cells only have a plasma membrane and no cell wall. Whereas plant cells have a plasma membrane and a cell wall.

Animal cells do not have chloroplasts whereas plant cells do for the process of photosynthesis.

Animal cells store glycogen as their carbohydrate resource whereas plants store starch.

Animal cells do not usually contain any vacuoles and if present they are small or temporary. On the other hand plants have a large vacuole that is always present.

Animal cells can change shape due to the lack of a cell wall and are usually rounded whereas plant cells have a fixed shape kept by the presence of the cell wall.

Question 39

What are two rolls of extracellular components?

Answer 39

The plant cell wall gives the cell a lot of strength and prevents it from bursting under high pressure as it is made up of cellulose arranged in groups called microfibrils. It gives the cell its shape, prevents excessive water up take by osmosis and is the reason why the whole plant can hold itself up against gravity.

The animal cell contains glycoproteins in their extracellular matrix which are involved in the support, movement and adhesion of the cell.

Question 40

Draw and label a diagram to show the structure of membranes.

Answer 40

Question 41

How to the hydrophobic and hydrophillic phospholipids help maintain the structure of a cell membrane?

Answer 41

Phospholipid molecules make up the cell membrane and are hydrophilic (attracted to water) as well as hydrophobic (not attracted to water but are attracted to other hydrophobic tails). They have a hydrophilic phosphate head and two hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails. Cell membranes are made up of a double layer of these phospholipid molecules. This is because in water the hydrophilic heads will face the water while the hydrophobic tails will be in the center because they face away from the water. The phospholipid bilayer makes the membrane very stable but also allows flexibility. The phospholipid in the membrane are in a fluid state which allows the cell to change it’s shape easily.

Question 42

What are the functions of membrane proteins?

Answer 42

Membrane proteins can act as hormone binding sites, electron carriers, pumps for active transport, channels for passive transport and also enzymes. In addition they can be used for cell to cell communication as well as cell adhesion.

Question 43

Define diffusion

Answer 43

Diffusion is the passive movement of particles from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration.

Question 44

Define osmosis

Answer 44

Osmosis is the passive movement of water molecules, across a partially permeable membrane, from a region of lower solute concentration to a region of higher solute concentration.

Question 45

Explain passive transport across membranes by simple diffusion and facilitated diffusion.

Answer 45

Membranes are semi-permeable which means that they allow certain molecules through but not others. The molecules can move in and out through passive transport which is a method that does not require any input of outside energy. It can either be done by simple diffusion or facilitated diffusion. Molecules will go from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration as they move randomly and eventually become evenly distributed within the system if they are permeable to the membrane. Simple diffusion involves the diffusion of molecules through the phospholipid bilayer while facilitated diffusion involves the use of channel proteins embedded in the membrane. The cell membrane is hydrophobic inside so hydrophobic (lipid soluble) molecules will pass through by simple diffusion whereas hydrophilic molecules and charged particles will use facilitated diffusion. Water moves through by osmosis which is also by passive transport. Osmosis involves the movement of water molecules from a region of low solute concentration, to a region of high solute concentration. So if the solute concentration is higher inside the cell than outside the cell, water will move in and vice versa.

Question 46

Explain the role of protein pumps and ATP in active transport across membranes.

Answer 46

Active transport involves the movement of substances through the membrane using energy from ATP. The advantage of active transport is that substances can be moved against the concentration gradient, meaning from a region of low concentration to a region of high concentration. This is possible because the cell membrane has protein pumps embedded it which are used in active transport to move substances across by using ATP. Each protein pump only transports certain substances so the cell can control what comes in and what goes out.

Question 47

Explain how vesicles are used to transport materials within a cell between the rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and plasma membrane.

Answer 47

After proteins have been synthesized by ribosomes they are transported to the rough endoplasmic reticulum where they can be modified. Vesicles carrying the protein then bud off the rough endoplasmic reticulum and are transported to the Golgi apparatus to be further modified. After this the vesicles carrying the protein bud off the Golgi apparatus and carry the protein to the plasma membrane. Here the vesicles fuse with the membrane expelling their content (the modified proteins) outside the cell. The membrane then goes back to its original state. This is a process called exocytosis. Endocytosis is a similar process which involves the pulling of the plasma membrane inwards so that the pinching off of a vesicle from the plasma membrane occurs and then this vesicle can carry its content anywhere in the cell.

Question 48

Describe how the fluidity of the membrane allows it to change shape, break and re-form during endocytosis and exocytosis

Answer 48

The phospholipids in the cell membrane are not solid but are in a fluid state allowing the membrane to change its shape and also vesicles to fuse with it. This means substances can enter the cell via endocytosis and exit the cell via exocytosis. The membrane then returns to its original state. In exocytosis the vesicles fuse with the membrane expelling their content outside the cell. The membrane then goes back to its original state. Endocytosis is a similar process which involves the pulling of the plasma membrane inwards so that a vesicle is pinched off it and then this vesicle can carry its content anywhere in the cell.

Question 49

Outline the stages in the cell cycle, including interphase (G1, S, G2), mitosis and cytokinesis.

Answer 49

The first stage of cell division is interphase which is divided into 3 phases; G1, S and G2. The cell cycle starts with G1 (Gap phase 1) during which the cell grows larger. This is followed by phase S (synthesis) during which the genome is replicated. Finally, G2 (gap phase 2) is the second growth phase which separates the newly replicated genome and marks the end of interphase.
The fourth stage is mitosis which is divided into prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. During mitosis the spindle fibers attach to the chromosomes and pull sister chromatids apart. This stage separates the two daughter genomes. Finally, cytokinesis is the last stage during which the cytoplasm divides to create two daughter cells. In animal cells the cell is pinched in two while plant cells form a plate between the dividing cells.

Question 50

What is a tumor and when does it occur?

Answer 50

Tumors are formed when cell division goes wrong and is no longer controlled. This can happen in any organ or tissue.

Question 51

What is interphase?

Answer 51

Interphase is an active period in the life of a cell during which many metabolic reactions occur such as protein synthesis, DNA replication and an increase in the number of mitochondria and/or chloroplast.

Question 52

What occurs during the prophase of mitosis?

Answer 52

During prophase the spindle microtubules grow and extend from each pole to the equator. Also chromosomes super coil and become short and bulky and the nuclear envelope breaks down.

Question 53

What occurs during the metaphase of mitosis?

Answer 53

During metaphase the chromatids move to the equator and the spindle microtubules from each pole attach to each centromere on opposite sides.

Question 54

What happens during the anaphase of mitosis?

Answer 54

During anaphase the spindle microtubules pull the sister chromatids apart splitting the centromeres. This splits the sister chromatids into chromosomes. Each identical chromosome is pulled to opposite poles.

Question 55

What happens during the telophase of mitosis?

Answer 55

During telophase the spindle microtubules break down and the chromosomes uncoil and so are no longer individually visible. Also the nuclear membrane reforms. The cell then divides by cytokinesis to form two daughter cells with identical genetic nuclei.

Question 56

How does mitosis produce two genetically identical nuclei?

Answer 56

Mitosis is divided into four stages; prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. During prophase, the chromosomes become visible under a light microscope as they super coil and therefore they get shorter and more bulky. The nuclear envelope disintegrates and the spindle microtubules grow and extend from each pole to the equator. At metaphase the chromatids move to the equator. The sister chromatids are two DNA molecules formed by DNA replication and are therefore identical. These sister chromatids are then separated in anaphase as the spindle microtubules attaches to centromere and pulls the sister chromatids to opposite poles. As the sister chromatids separate they are called chromosomes. This means that each pole has the same chromosomes (same genetic material). Finally the microtubules break down, the chromosomes uncoil and the nuclear membrane reforms. The cell then divides into two daughter cells with genetically identical nuclei.

Question 57

When does mitosis occur?

Answer 57

Growth, embryonic development, tissue repair and asexual reproduction involve mitosis.